Written in the stars: did your specialty choose you?

Abstract

Purpose of the studyEstablished over 2000 years ago, horoscopes remain a regular feature in contemporary society. We aimed to assess whether there could be a link between zodiac sign and medical occupation, asking the question—did your specialty choose you?Study designA questionnaire-based study was distributed using an online survey tool. Questions explored the zodiac sign, specialty preferences and personality features of physicians.Results1923 physicians responded between February and March 2020. Variations in personality types between different medical specialties were observed, introverts being highly represented in oncology (71.4%) and rheumatology (65.4%), and extroverts in sexual health (55%), gastroenterology (44.4%) and obstetrics and gynaecology (44.2%) (p<0.01). Proportions of zodiac signs in each specialty also varied; for example, cardiologists were more likely to be Leo compared with Aries (14.4% vs 3.9%, p=0.047), medical physicians more likely Capricorn than Aquarius (10.4% vs 6.7%, p=0.02) and obstetricians and gynaecologists more likely Pisces than Sagittarius (17.5% vs 0%, p=0.036). Intensive care was the most commonly reported second choice career, but this also varied between zodiac signs and specialties. Fountain pen use was associated with extroversion (p=0.049) and gastroenterology (p<0.01).ConclusionsPersonality types vary in different specialties. There may be links to zodiac signs which warrant further investigation.